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Th(^ miuigo is a fruit liiglily esteeinod throughout the Tropics, in 

 most places outranking In popuhirity l)<)th th«» banana and the orange. 

 Euroi)ean residents in the Tropics almost universally ac<|uire a fond- 

 ness for th(^ mango, and in England the demand for it is steadily 

 increasing, it having been found possil)le to make im])ortations from 

 India, notwithstanding the innnense distance. The mango is as yet 

 little known in the United States, having >)een represented in our 

 mai'kets only by fruit of inferior varieties. These give no suggestion 

 of the (jualities of th(^ tx'tter sorts and tend rather to discourage than 

 to increase the demand. If an effort similar to that M'hich brought 

 the banana into favor in the United States could place an adequate 

 supply of good mangoes })efore the public, there is no apparent reason 

 why this new tropical fruit should not repeat the histoiy of its now 

 popular })redecessor. 



Porto Kico is favorably- located for the growth of the mango, the 

 south side of the island especially possessing the right climatic condi- 

 tions. The trees are ver}^ prolific and remarkaV^ly free from diseases. 

 High-grade varieties are alread}^ growing in different parts of the 

 West Indies, Florida, Central America, and Mexico, and their intro- 

 duction into Porto Kico should be attended with little difficulty. 



This bulletin, written by Mr. G. X. Collins, under the direction of 

 Mr. O. F. Cook, botanist in charge of investigations in tropical agri- 

 culture, and based largely upon observations made by the author 

 while engaged in a botanical exploration in Porto Rico in cooperation 

 with the recently established Porto Rico Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, discusses the possibilities and requirements of the mango 

 there, and it is hoped that it will help to establish the growing of 

 mangoes as one of the profitable industries of the island. 



Lyster H. Dewey, 



Acting Botanist. 



Office of Botanical Investigations and Experiments, 



^Yas^dngton, D. C, September 18, 1902. 



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